¶ And when all the kings that dwell on this side Iordan, in the hills and valleys, and along by all the coasts of the great sea, even unto Libanon, the Hethites, the Amorites, the Cananites, the Pheresites, the Hevites, and the Iebusites heard:
they gathered themselves together to fight against Iosua and Israel with one accord.
¶ But when the Inhabiters of Gibeon heard what Iosua had done unto Iericho, and Ai,
they played wilily, and went and sent ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their Asses, and wine bottles old and rent and knit together again,
and old clouted shoes upon their feet, and old raiment upon them and all their provision of bread was dried up and hoared.
And they came unto Iosua unto the host, to Gilgal and said unto him and unto the men of Israel: we be come from a far country, now therefore make agreement with us.
And the men of Israel said unto the Hevites, peradventure you dwell among us, and then how should we make peace with you.
And they said unto Iosua, we are thy servants. And Iosua said unto them, what are ye: and whence come ye?
And they answered him. From a very far country thy servants are come in the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond Iordan, Sehon king of Hesbon and Og king of Basan which dwelt at Astharoth.
Wherefore our elders and all the Enhabiters of our country spake to us saying: take vitailles with you to serve by the way, and go against them, and say unto them we are your servants. Now therefore make a covenant of peace with us.
This our provision of bread, we took with us out of our houses, hot, the day we departed to come unto you. And now behold it is dried up and hoared.
And these bottles of wine which we filled were new: and see, they be rent. And these our garments and shoes are waxen old by reason of the exceeding long Iourney.
And the men took of their vitailles, and counselled not with the mouth of the LORD.
¶ And Iosua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to save their lives: and the lords of the congregation sware unto them.
But three days after they had made peace with them, they heard that they were neighbours unto them, and that they dwelt among them.
For the children of Israel took their Iourney and came unto their cities the third day: and their cities were Gabaon, Caphira, Beeroth and Kariath Iarim.
And the children of Israel slew them not, because the lords of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And therefore all the multitude murmured against the lords.
But all the lords said unto all the congregation: we have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, and therefore we may not hurt them.
But this we will do to them and let them live: and so shall no wrath be upon us because of the oath which we sware unto them.
And the lords said unto them, that they should live: and they were made hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the lords said unto them.
¶ Then Iosua sent for them, and talked with them, and said: wherefore have ye beguiled us and yet ye dwell among us?
and now therefore cursed be you, and there shall not cease to be of you, bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the house of my God.
And they answered Iosua and said: it was told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the Enhabiters thereof out of your sight, and therefore we were exceeding sore afraid of our lives because of you,
and now behold, we are in thine hand, as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to do unto us, so do.
And he dealt as it is said, with them, and rid them out of the hands of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
And Iosua made them that same day hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the congregation and unto the altar of GOD unto this day, in the place which God should choose.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.